#Frances sternhagen

[addictedtostorytelling]

"there are other ways to help people. you don't have to destroy yourself."

[whydotheheathenrage]

"I am happiest when swimming--weightless, adrift, free from gravity and the ground. Glorious action and movement. The mind opens. You are free. I immediately adopted Frances Sternhagen when I learned that she swam most days. Swimmers are a rare breed."--Tennessee Williams/Interview with James Grissom #FolliesOfGod Photograph by W. Eugene Smith, from 1948

[haveyouseenthismovie-poll]

[brokehorrorfan]

Daniel Danger is releasing his The Mist artwork as a 19x36 screen print. It's available with the title and credits for $110 or as an art print sans text for $100. They're expected to ship by February.

[citizenscreen]

I’m sorry to hear that two-time Tony Award winner Frances Sternhagen has died. I can’t even name how many films & TV shows I’ve seen her in through the years. Terrific actor. R.I.P.

[loveboatinsanity]

R.I.P. Frances Sternhagen

[mudwerks]

(via Outland (1981) - IMDb)

One of her film roles that always stood out to me

[elliehopaunt]

Aw, Willie Ray....

[spookytuesdaypod]

spooky tuesday is a (now not so new!) podcast where we’re breaking down all of our favorite slashers, thrillers, monster movies and black comedies on the new scariest day of the week.

february is all about the romance — and when you combine that with horror, too often you end up with something that looks a little more toxic. that’s why we’re dedicating these next few weeks to all things obsession, and we know just how to kick this theme month off. this week on spooky tuesday, we’re covering misery (1990), the kathy bates classic that introduced us to such famous phrases as “cock-a-doodie” and “bitchly cow corn.” and to help us discuss the movie all about what happens when fans go too far, we invited on aj, our #1 listener. what? it’s not like a little audience interaction ever hurt anyone before…

give spooky tuesday a listen on apple podcasts, spotify, iheart radio, or stitcher

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

(Photo by Bruce Glikas)

* * * *

“A director said something so cruel to me once in rehearsal that I almost felt my blood freezing, but my brain told me to not let him see any reaction or effect from me. I was impassive and just waited for rehearsal to continue. I do this now with anyone rude or mean. What they want is your reaction. A reaction is their reward for their cruelty. They won’t get a reaction or a reward from me. I don’t get bothered much.”

—Frances Sternhagen/Interview with James Grissom

[follies of god]

[esqueletosgays]

THE MIST (2007)

Director: Frank Darabont Cinematography: Rohn Schmidt

[moviemosaics]

The Mist

directed by Frank Darabont, 2007

[filmjunky-99]

o u t l a n d, 1981 🎬 dir. peter hyams 'Settling In/ Dr. Lazarus'

[citizenscreen]

There’s too much fabulousness in this group of nominees for Tony Awards for Best Performance by an Actress in a Musical in 1978: Liza Minnelli, Madeline Kahn, Eartha Kitt, and Frances Sternhagen.

[kwebtv]

Frances Hussey Sternhagen (January 13, 1930 – November 27, 2023) Stage, film and television actress. Sternhagen was known as a character actress who appeared on- and off-Broadway, in movies, and on television for over six decades. She received numerous accolades including two Tony Awards, a Drama Desk Award, a Saturn Award, as well as nominations for three Primetime Emmy Awards.

She worked for many years in soap operas such as Another World, The Secret Storm, Love of Life, and The Doctors, and she played two roles on One Life to Live. She is also recognized as Mrs. Marsh from a series of television commercials for Colgate toothpaste that aired in the 1970s.

She gained prominence and Primetime Emmy Award nominations for her recurring roles as Esther Clavin in the NBC sitcom Cheers (1986 - 1993) and Bunny MacDougal in the HBO series Sex and the City (2000–2002). She also had recurring roles in the NBC medical drama ER (1994–2009), and the TNT series The Closer (2006–2012).

IMDb listing

[adamwatchesmovies]

Misery (1990)

Misery easily ranks as one of the best Stephen King Novel film adaptations. When we look at The Lawnmower Man and Sleepwalkers, that might not sound like much but this is a terrific thriller with high levels of suspense and a showstopping performance by Kathy Bates.

Famed novelist Paul Sheldon (James Caan) has recently sent the last of his successful Misery Chastain Victorian romance novels to the publisher. He is moving on to the next phase of his writing career when he crashes his car during a blizzard. A nurse named Annie Wilkes (Bates) finds him and brings him to her remote home, where she uses her medical skills to help him recuperate. When she discovers that her beloved Misery has been killed in Sheldon’s latest book, she insists he fixes his mistake and refuses to let him leave until he does.

You don’t have to read any behind-the-scenes material to guess where Stephen King got the inspiration for the novel (adapted for the screen by William Goldman). Even if you’re not an author or a creative professional, you can imagine yourself in this scenario. Sheldon is of course grateful to have been rescued. He's even flattered by the way Wilkes gushes over his work. The funny thing is that he’s already moved on from Misery. In fact, he holds a certain contempt for the series, which introduces immediate tension in the situation. You know and he knows, that eventually, Wilkes will learn what he has done. Even before she does, Sheldon could slip. When the truth comes out… how will Wilkes react? Even early on, there are hints that something about her is off. She’s just… too cheery. Something about her demeanor makes you think “This woman is acting all nice and everything, but I need to get away from her”. As time passes, Sheldon’s strength returns but the longer he stays, the closer Wilkes gets to the final chapter of his book. The suspense keeps building until we finally see Wilkes’ true side. Then, this becomes a whole other kind of movie.

It turns out Wilkes is part time bomb and part cuckoo clock. Sheldon needs to escape her care. You feel his terror but as a member of the audience, you're also excited. These kinds of movies draw you in because you do the same thing Sheldon does: you look around the room, looking for tools he can use to escape. Whenever an attempt fails, you're disappointed on his behalf… but inside, you’re also glad because it means the cycle gets to start over.

Bates’ portrayal of Annie Wilkes is one of the all-time great movie villains. The obsessive fan feels so real you can’t imagine anyone else taking on the role. Her voice and mannerisms when she’s calm, the way her temper explodes, the “office” she puts together so Sheldon can work and the changes in her body language/voice when she drops the niceties make her iconic. The memorable skin-crawling scenes that come as her obsession grows instantly burn themselves into your head (the Blu-ray I watched has the most unsettling scene - you know which one - on the cover).

Bates is not the only great performer in the film, however. James Caan makes Sheldon even more relatable than the script and setup already do. You can always tell what he’s thinking and how he’s feeling. If you were in Sheldon's shoes, you’d be doing the exact same thing as him. He's a quick-thinking protagonist, making the ordeal he goes through even more satisfying (and horrifying) to watch. I also want to give a shout-out to Richard Farnsworth as Sheriff Buster and to Frances Sternhagen as his wife and deputy, Virginia. The side story of the authorities searching for Sheldon is essential to the film’s success. Cutting to those scenes gives you some much-needed breathers and cranks up the intensity as the Sheriff gets closer to cracking the case but Buster and Virginia are great characters. Stephen King’s said that many (if not all) of his stories are set in the same universe. I know it’s been more than 30 years so it’s impossible, but it would’ve been awesome if more adaptations featured Buster and Virginia. Not as the main characters, but in fun cameos that got to show off their relationship.

It took me way longer than it should’ve to sit down and watch Misery. The film makes great use of its premise. The performances are phenomenal. It’s got memorable characters and scenes. It’s just a great film, period. (On Blu-ray, May 17, 2024)